WRITER IS A WRITER before, as well as after, publication. Any number of how-to books combined may not give a writer the one priceless bit of clarity that can make the difference between being published or not. Rejection by an editor or agent seldom yields the reason as to why a manuscript doesn't grab them, and almost never reveals how it can be fixed to ensure it will.

Founded and run by professional writers the SCWC provides veteran and emerging talent with authoritative critique to help distinguish those manuscripts that are ready for market consideration, facilitating nearly $4 million worth of first-time authors' book and screen deals. With extended one-on-one evaluation of advance submissions and dozens of read & critique and Q&A workshops uniquely defying the "us versus them," academia-style cattle drives found at similar events, the SCWC is among the only writing conferences in the country specifically tailored to provide comprehensive feedback on your work.

Along with the read & critiques run during each session, many interactive problem-solving and assignment-oriented workshops are also available. And since the surroundings of the conference afford it – and since we most certainly encourage it – plenty of other opportunities await those attending to sidle up next to editors, agents, executives, and other writers joining us to discuss things on a more intimate level.

So whether you're a writer just starting out, a writer unable to determine why your work's not working, a writer simply in search of some answers, a writer wanting feedback on what you've written, or just a writer who wants to hang with other writers, do yourself a favor and join us for the 24th Annual Southern California Writers' Conference (and Retreat) in San Diego.

Your words are worth it!

Latest News as of 2/6/10
>> Print SD24 Brochure  I  Print SD24 Flyer
>> View Proper Manuscript Format Sample  I  MSG on Writing a Synopsis
>> JJ on "Pitch" Conferences  I  MSG on Choosing the "Write" Conference
>> Book your Crowne Plaza Hotel room online here (use code SCW)

[ Note: Agents wanting to participate contact Michael Steven Gregory only if you're accepting clients. There are plenty of other conferences that provide reps who have no sincere intent of acquiring new clients with free weekends at nice hotels in desireable locales. The SCWC is not one of them. ]

QUICK FOLLOW-UP: While SD24 pre- and walk-in registration remains open (details outlined below), as of today Drusilla Campbell's NovelCram is sold out. For all those wishing to partake of the considerable everything else the SCWC has to offer, join us. Pre-register by midnight Wednesday, Feb. 10, or as a walk-in registrant beginning Friday at Noon, Feb. 12 . . .

One last reminder: America's newest, quality literary journal, The Hummingbird Review, breaks out Friday afternoon at the conference. To celebrate, publisher Charlie Redner is sponsoring a writing contest exclusively for SD24 conferees. Submit a previously unpublished essay, story or poem of no more than 1000 words based on the subject "An Impact of Another" — meaning, whether positive or not, personal or fictional, addressing the theme of consequence in one's life perpetrated by the act or acts of another — and you could win $100 and possible publication in the magazine. The deadline for submission is 4PM Sunday, Feb. 14th at the conference registration desk. Remember, we work in an industry of one; that is to say, it takes only one individual to recognize the potential of your book and become a passionate advocate of it in order to make the difference between realizing your publication goals or not, be it an agent, an editor, another writer, or just somebody who can. In that spirit this contest is founded. We look forward to seeing YOU in sunny San Diego!

GOOD "MUSE" & SUNDAY EVENING SPEAKER (1/29/10): Rounding out our special guest speakers is none other than Selden Edwards, whose rousingly delectable time-skipping debut novel, The Little Book, took only 30 years to get published and made him an overnight success at the age of 67. NPR's Maureen Corrigan called the book, "A soaring thing of joy whose only purpose—and I mean this as a compliment—is to delight and entertain." Bestselling author Pat Conroy declared it, "wonderful...I've never read a novel like it. I felt like my life was changing forever as I savored its many delights and mysteries." Selden will be with us Sunday night and the story of his journey to publication guarantees to inform and entertain . . . This just in: SD21, 22, 23 and 24 conferee Claudia Whitsitt has inked the deal for her debut novel, The Wrong Guy, with Echelon Press. This makes for the sixth or seventh author discovered by Echelon publisher Karen Syed at the SCWC. Congratulations, Claudia! . . . Speaking of Echelon Press, two more recently discovered SCWC authors will be sitting in on the Debut Authors: What I Wish I Knew Before Being Published panel: Gayle Carline and Nick Valentino will be joining Teresa Burrell (all three Echelon authors), Andrew Peterson and Kathy Porter on Sunday afternoon. The response to the topic has been so overwhelming that we had to move what was originally planned to be an informal roundtable discussion into its own full-on panel . . . The schedule has been updated. While not yet perfect, it's getting close. If you haven't already, try and register by Feb. 1 to save $50 off Full Conference and partake of all it has to offer. You've earned it!

ADVANCE SUBMISSIONS, PLUS (1/20/10): A select number of advance submission readers are accepting material through no later than Feb. 1, including literary agent Jennifer de la Fuente. If you're work is ready for empirically qualified feedback and you're interested in a reader, contact Michael first to ensure of availability . . . The Crowne Plaza has extended its SCWC discounted lodging rate until Jan. 25. Remember that Monday, Feb. 15 is a holiday and that Sunday's sessions often go until the very wee hours of Monday morning &mdash 3 AM, 4 AM, 5 AM and, yes, even the record-breaking 6 AM &mdash so you'll likely not want to checkout on Sunday. For anybody interested in splitting room costs, we have at least one writer (female) looking for a roommate . . . Finally, another new author has been added to the schedule. Kathy Porter's debut sci-fi thriller, Earth's Ultimate Conflict, took a long, strange path to publication success, and you'll want to hear about it. Kathy will join us Sunday on the "Debut Authors: What I Wish I Knew Before Being Published" roundtable discussion . . . Still more to report, and still plenty of room for writers of every level to join us at SD24. Register by Feb. 1 and save $50 off your full conference getaway.

ANOTHER SPEAKER, ANOTHER AGENT (1/13/10): With all things publishing 3.0 currently overwhelming writers everywhere in their effort to understand and "establish a platform" by feeding their tweets, increasing their Facebook & Friendster followers, blogging relentlessly, podcasting incessantly, post-baiting ad nauseam, and, somewhere in between, among and around all this time-suck devoted to promoting their work, themselves and other pivotal passions, actually write books, who better to address the issue than David Mathison. An internationally recognized media consultant, publisher, radio host, hi-tech entrepreneur, and former vice president with Reuters — the world's largest news agency — where he pioneered online content syndication, after more than 25 years experience in content distribution, David's new book, Be The Media, provides an encyclopedic volume of information, online strategies and tactics every author needs to know to succeed. He's Friday night's special guest speaker and you will not want to miss him . . . From Fountain Literary, agent Jennifer de la Fuente has just been added to the schedule and we're thrilled to have her aboard because she's hungry, cool and looking to expand her client list. The advance submissions deadline for those seeking one-on-one consultation with Jennifer will be Feb. 1 . . . More still to announce, so check beck often.

DEADLINE AND SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT (1/4/10): For the first time on the schedule, writing provocateur and founder of L.A.'s Writing Pad, which specializes in gourmet writing classes geared to stimulate the creative muse, Marilyn Friedman will conduct "Hanky Panky: Writing The Erotic." Limited to 12 participants, rest assured that, sadly, this is not a porn writing or romance novel writing class, but instead will inspire erotic scenes for books, screenplays, essays, or poems. (And rumor has it there'll be food served in this sensorially — real word — sensuous session, making it doubly tasty.) . . . Author and special guest speaker T. (Tammy) Greenwood is accepting advance submissions in literary fiction. For those choosing advance reads, followed by one-on-one consultation at the conference, all material must be received by the SCWC by no later than Jan. 16. If you're submitting to more than one reader, remember that it is permissible to include multiple submissions in a single envelope to reduce postal costs . . . Drusilla Campbell's immersive NovelCram: Building the Better Book track is beginning to fill up since the announcement of its inclusion a couple of weeks ago. If you're looking to take the plunge, don't delay too long . . . Another Sunday roundtable discussion to announce: "What Happens to Your Book Once a Publisher Buys It — And What You Must Do to Help!" promises to be both a mind and eye opener . . . Finally, don't forget to print up copies of the SD24 Flyer to pass along to all your favorite writing friends and groups. It's winter in San Diego and we can't imagine a better place for writers to be. More soon!

JOLLY HOLLY: With less than two months to go 'til our celebrated San Diego event we're still adding great talent to the schedule. The latest is Robert Lee Yehling. A long-time journalist, editor, poet and award-winning author of seven titles under his own name, and some 70 others as either the ghostwriter or editor, Bob's bringing serious advance submission critique game to the conference and we're pleased to have him . . . Speaking of the schedule, the preliminary version is now posted. Don't get married to it because there's lots of swapping around yet to be done, as well as the inclusion of at least four more workshops and three roundtable discussions. It's good to gander at, though, so you can begin plotting what all you won't want to miss. The Crowne Plaza Hotel gave the SCWC quite the unexpected gift this year in the manner of a massive expansion that dumped extra meeting rooms in our lap. What that means is an extra half-dozen sessions to choose from, so we're putting our thinking caps back on and wrestling how best to fill the spots. Email Michael if you have any topic suggestions . . . Plenty more to come, including the announcement of our final special guest speakers, the debut of a new literary magazine Friday night at the conference, and the launch of a freshly re-tooled SCWC website. In the meantime, Jolly Holly writers!

GOOD "MUSE" (12/14/09): For the first time at our San Diego event best-selling author Drusilla Campbell will be conducting her stellar NovelCram: Building the Better Book. Geared not for the faint-hearted, this hands-on, one-of-a-kind weekend intensive is for writers just starting out — or those just plain stuck — with their novel. Running all day Saturday and Sunday, couple the Cram with Friday's New Writers Primer 1 and 2, conducted by author/editors Laura Taylor and Marla Miller respectively, and participants are promised an exhaustive overload of brain bursting information and step-by-step practical application strategies that will make the difference between getting published or not . . . Author/workshop leader Frederick Ramsay's historical novel Judas: The Gospel of Betrayal is out January. Despite the wild departure from his routinely lauded work in the mystery field, the first review to come in affirms that great storytellers know how to tell a great story, regardless of genre. Booklist affirms, "Notable for its imaginative use of biblical incidents to give readers a different way to think about the Bible's biggest villain... Ramsay's observations about the roles of women in biblical society make the novel a good choice for book clubs." You get that? BOOK CLUB ENDORSEMENT! . . . Lots of votes have come in on the poll below (be sure to vote if you haven't already), and while we're still sorting out what the remaining roundtable discussion topics will be, the one that's definitely on the slate is "Debut Authors: What I Wish I Knew Before Being Published." We're bringing in some new folk for this one so check back soon . . . The latest SCWC publishing success comes from L.A. and San Diego conferee John Rosenberg. His as-yet-untitled practical nonfiction book will be published late 2010 by Focal Press . . . Lots more to be posted shortly. If you haven't already, be sure to join our Facebook Group to keep up to speed on all things SCWC.

SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER NO. 2, PLUS (12/3/09): Catching up! While more staff will be announced, we're pleased to welcome the return of prolific memoirist/ghostwriter and overall nonfiction goddess Eva Shaw, as well the SCWC debut of award-winning children's picture & chapter book author Clare Hodgson Meeker. Picture books are big, btw. Surprisingly (to me) young 'uns interest in nonfiction trumps fiction. Thankfully, Clare can address that . . . The second of our special guest speakers has a brand-spanking new novel out just before the conference. None other than celebrated author T. (Tammy) Greenwood will discuss her latest, Twin Rivers, as well as conduct a workshop devoted to one of the many things she shines most brightly at: creating vividly memorable characters . . . The list of current advance submission readers is now active on the registration page. A few more will be added over the next couple of weeks, however if you're already registered and rearin' to have a reader, or just now signing up now and want one, go ahead and pick your person . . . Something new we're doing at SD24 is an entire slate of roundtable dialogues. Geared to be rather casually intimate sessions, what's important is that they're devoted to whatever topics you most want to know about at this time. Consequently we're going to rely on you, the writer, to tell us. Please take a moment and select from one of the listed topics in the poll below to further help us empower you. At this time there are only four roundtable spaces available. We'll rely on you to fill 'em.

SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER NO. 1 (11/18/09): Picking up speed as we head into the holidays, we welcome the first of the our special guest speakers to the SCWC roster. Kirsten Imani Kasai is author of the breakout debut novel Ice Song. A richly woven, densely layered fantasy adventure (possibly the most popular genre next to "new adult" vampires at the moment) bridging the late-teen/adult market Library Journal proclaimed it, "Reminiscent of Ursula Le Guin's paradigm-shattering The Left Hand of Darkness, this piercingly moving story belongs in most fantasy collections." Publishers Weekly declared it simply, "Strikingly original." This is a genre that many conferees are interested in and we can't wait to hear about Kirsten's journey cracking it open . . . Another couple of agenta added to the schedule. From the Sandra Dijkstra Literary, one of the most respected literary agencies in the U.S., with over 100 authors based around the world, including Maxine Hong Kingston, Amy Tan, Lisa See and Diane Mott Davidson and on the non-fiction side, Peter Irons, David Landes, Mike Davis, Chalmers Johnson and Susan Faludi, among others, agent Jill Marr is aboard and looking to expand her client list. And hailing from New York's Nancy Yost Literary, none other than Natanya Wheeler returns in search of fast paced literary fiction, voice-driven crime fiction, psychological thrillers and mystery series with memorable protagonists, along with nonfiction . . . More additions to post soon, including the remaining special guest speakers, workshop leaders, agents & editors and who knows what all. We'll begin working out the schedule shortly as well, so check back soon. And don't forget that the $75 Early "Bard" Discount expires at the end of the month so, if you haven't already, register today.

PIG SICKNESS = MAJOR MUSE (11/4/09): The flu knocked MSG down for a few weeks which has put us a wee bit behind schedule. Upside is that he didn't grow a curly little tail so, ham that he still is, it wasn't swine. Even upper upside is that the $75 Early "Bard" Discount has been extended until December 1 because of the updates delay . . . Lotsa good "muse" to report. Most notably, three — count 'em three — more conferees scored book deals, all from the San Diego side of the conference. A good gal who's been with us many times, Barbara DeShong is now the proud author of her debut novel Too Rich & Too Thin: Not an Autobiography, a comedic mystery just out from Echelon Press. A good guy who joined us for the very first time at SD23, Nick Valentino also scored with his steampunk adventure, Thomas Riley, out February and also from Echelon. And, yes, we just got word of yet another Echelon deal, this one with Jennifer Hilborne, whose Madness and Murder will be out third quarter of 2010. This makes for at least five first-time novelists being landed by Echelon publisher Karen Syed at the SCWC in the past two years. While Karen will again be joining us in February, our most sincere congratulations goes out now to all the new authors! . . .

Courtesy of the astute observations of longtime staffers Laura Taylor and Marla Miller, we're introducing something quite new and exciting at SD24. It's needed, it's been a long time coming, and we're calling it the New Writers Primer. Will fill you in on it down the line because right now we've got one more big item to announce: Over two years since wrapping production on a competitive reality-TV show for writers, The Three-Day Novel Contest finally hit the air last night on Canada’s BookTelevision and will run for seven episodes. Shot over Labor Day weekend of 2007, the show's producers stuck 12 authors — including our own Gordon Kirkland — in a large, busy Edmonton bookstore where they were assigned the task of completing a full novel from scratch amid the distractions of customers, assigned challenges, and an ever present camera crew filming their every move. Check your local cable operator to determine the correct channel for BookTelevision and watch the show . . .

With many more still to be announced, the latest authors, editors, agents and other publishing professionals confirmed for SD24 are Teresa Burrell, Mark Clements, Edwin Decker, Jeremy Lee James, Ken Kuhlken, Matthew Pallamary, Midge Raymond, Jennifer Silva Redmond, Judy Reeves, Linton Robinson, Karen Ronney, Alan Russell, Michele Scott, Mike Sirota, Sally van Haitsma and Maralys Wills . . .

Finally, while several of the staff currently listed will be accepting advance submissions for critique and one-on-one consultation, until we have the majority confirmed and posted they will not be available to select on the registration form. They will be by month's end. If you have already registered, or register before then and know you will be selecting a reader, select "To Be Determined" on the registration form and we'll notify you when all the readers are posted. We still have more agents, editors, authors to announce, including our special guest speakers, so check back soon for all the latest.

GEARING UP (10/1/09): While it's been an extraordinary year of success for SCWCers getting published and regular updates for SD24 are only now revvin' up, we can tell you that a few of the faces joining us next Presidents' Day Weekend, both familiar and fresh, include industrious independent house Stephens Press' president/editor-and-chief Carolyn Hayes Uber, authors Laurel Corona, T. Greenwood (welcome back, Tammy), Gordon Kirkland, Andrew Peterson, Karen Ronney and Frederick Ramsay, as well as intellectual property attorney Mark I. Reichenthal. So many more to mention, but give us a little turnaround time to roll completely out of LA7 and we'll bring you up to speed. In the meantime, where LA7 sold out SD24 is now totally open. Why not sign-up today, knock $75 off Full Conference registration, and join us. You've earned it!

SCWC*SD 23 Award Recipients:

• OUTSTANDING FICTION >> Reina Lisa Menasche

  from Spring Valley, CA for Every Holiday on Ice

• OUTSTANDING FICTION >> Reina Lisa Menasche

  from Spring Valley, CA for Silent Bird

• OUTSTANDING FICTION >> Juliette Engel

  from Moscow, Russia for Moscow Traffic

• OUTSTANDING TOPIC >> Gayle Carline

  from Placentia, CA for Home to Roost (read here)

• OUTSTANDING POETRY >> Paul R. De Lancey

  from Poway, CA for Regret (read here)

SCWC*SAN DIEGO 23 KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

SCWC*SD 24 LOCATION: The conference will be held again at the Crowne Plaza San Diego resort, located mere moments away from Lindbergh Field International Airport, Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, historic Old Town, downtown and its famous Gaslamp District, and beaches, beaches, beaches galore! Dates are Presidents' Day Weekend, Feb. 12-15, 2010. Lodging discounts are available to SCWC conferees. Phone 800-972-2802 to book your reservation, or click here (when available) (use code SCW). We often sell out the hotel, so make your reservation sooner than later.

SCWC*SD 24 SCHEDULE: As always, you can rest assured that plenty of workshops, read & critique, one-on-ones and more will fill the schedule in 2009. We're even changing a few things around to bolster your conference experience. Check it out here.

SCWC*SD 24 STAFF: In addition to the many familiar Workshop Leaders returning in 2010, as usual we'll have several new folks rolled into the fold. Check 'em out here when they're announced.

GUEST SPEAKERS: Check here to learn about who all's aboard for SCWC*SD 24, when they're announced.

HERE'S WHERE you can check everything out:

• Workshop Leaders, Readers & Panelists - SCWC*SD 24
• Conference Schedule - SCWC*SD 24
• Registration - SCWC*SD 24
• Frequently Asked Questions - SCWC*SD 24

THAT'S ALL for now.  Do check the website for updates and be sure to remit your postal address to receive our free brochure. For more information, address your question to someone specific on the contact page, or phone (619) 303-8185.